Abrading machine



1 July 29, 1941.

E. M. BRIGHT ABRADING MACI-IiNE I Filed Aug. 25, 1939 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 INVENTOR 744- BY ATTO NEY July 29, 1941. E. M. BRIGHT ABRADING MACHINE Filed Alig. 25, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 6, 'ATTO EY been used over a long period of time.

Patented July 29, 1941 EQE '7 Claims.

This invention relates to-an abrading machine or polishing machine and more particularly to a machine that utilizes a continuous length abrasive belt.

Abrading machines utilizing a belt having applied thereto emery, sand, carborundum or other abrading material or polishing compounds, have These abrading machines give excellent results when used in polishing or abrading certain types of surfaces; but are practically valueless for polishing surfaces having irregular contours.

An object of this invention is to provide an abrading or polishing machine that may be utilized in removing excess material, polishing surfaces and finishing articles that have irregular contours which cannot very well be polished by the use of abrading machines utilizing a substantially flat belt.

Another object of this invention is to deflect and support the abrasive belt in such a manner that it presents a curved surface varying gradually from a curved surface having a small radius of curvature to one having a radius of curvature that approaches infinity.

Another object of this invention is to produce an abrading machine or polishing machine that lends itself to mass production when operated by skilled or unskilled laborers.

Another object of this invention is to provide an abrading machine or polishing machine that may be used in finishing articles having varying degrees of curvature without resetting or adjusting the machine.

Another object of this invention is to provide an abrading or polishing machine wherein the position of polishing varying objects is dependent upon the contour thereof.

Another object of this invention is to support a belt in a gradually arranged curvature throughout the operative range thereof.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the abrading machine shown in Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary cross sectional views of the belt supporting structure, taken substantially on the lines 33, l and 55 respectively, of Figure 2.

--Belt type abrad-i-ng and polishing machines, that is, a machine utilizing a belt carrying the abrasive material used for abrading or polishing the Work, have been used over a long period of time. Generally, such belts are flat or present a fiat surface to the work. This gives excellent results when polishing or scraping flat or straight surfaces. In addition to the use of a fiat belt, belts have been used that are passed over a curved surface having a uniform curvature, as illustrated in the patent to Wysong No. 832,114 patented October 2, 1906. This curvature is fixed and cannot be changed without resetting the machine. This may be satisfactory when the machine is used in abrading one type, and only one type, of article having one curvature, and only one curvature. In the manufacture of articles from plastic molding materials or by casting metals in a mold or otherwise forming articles, a hash projects outwardly from the formed article throughout its periphery. For the purpose of illustration, the molding of a toy dog results in a flash extending along the back, along the bottom and generally throughout the longitudinal periphery of the article. In some parts, as for example along the back, the article is practically fiat or'straight. Between the legs and under the chin the article has a rather abrupt curvature. Other parts may have less of a curvature. In other words, the periphery of the molded dog having a flash is such that it varies from an abrupt curvature to a substantially straight line, with various degrees of curvature therebetween. The flash from such an article cannot be removed by a sanding machine utilizing a fiat belt or a sanding machine utilizing a uniformly curved belt, as for example, the belt disclosed in the patent to Wysong. As a matter of fact, an article such as a dog, presents a problem which is generally solved by the use of a file or a rasp manually manipulated, a slow, tedious and expensive operation.

In the preferred embodiment disclosed herein the flexible belt is passed over a saddle or support having an abrupt curvature gradually diminishing or flattening out, so as to eventually present a substantially fiat backing to the belt. The belt is deflected or caused to be curved over the abrupt curvature of the support by any suitable means, as for example, a pair of pulleys providing a substantially V-shaped channel for the belt so as to force it into contact with the support. If an article having an abrupt curvature is to be polished, the article is placed into contact with the belt having a corresponding curvature. As the curvature may increase or if an article having a larger curvature is to be polished, it is brought into registry with the belt overlying the curved support at a position where the curvature of the belt is substantially the same as the curvature of the portion of the article to be polished. This is accomplished without resetting the machine, without making adjustments and without making any changes therein.

Referring to the drawings, a continuous belt l passes over the pulleys l2, l4 and IS. The pulleys l2, l4 and I6 are mounted upon a triangular frame structure having the upright standards 22, the base members 24 and the diagonally disposed members 26. The belt [0 travels or moves through a substantially triangular path, lying in a substantially parallel relation with respect to the frame portions 22, 2 and 26.

The pulley M is mounted in an adjustably mounted bracket 28. This bracket is held in position by a plurality of bolts 30, seated in longitudinal slots 32 in the bracket 28. By this arrangement or any equivalent adjusting device the tension of the belt may easily be adjusted. The abrasive belt is easily removed and a new belt substituted therefor. If a new belt is not of the same length as the old belt, the pulley It may be adjusted so as to properly tension the belt.

The belt is driven by an electric motor 49 supported upon the frame. The motor 60 drives the pulley I6 through a V-belt 42. The structure of the frame, the arrangement of the pulley, the mounting and positioning of the V-belt is a matter of choice, and any other type of mounting arrangement may be used.

In the particular embodiment disclosed, the vertical portion of the belt is utilized in polishing the work. A short distance below the pulley l2 a pair of idlers M are mounted to engage opposite edges of the belt, so as to form the belt into a substantially V-shape with the abrasive material being located on the outside of the V. The idlers 44 are mounted upon a pair of pintles 46 adjustably mounted in suitable apertures in the blocks 48, adjustably mounted upon the transverse supporting member 50 secured to the standards 22 by suitable bolts 52. The transverse supporting member 50 is mounted for up and down adjustment by virtue of the slots 54 in the standards 22 which receive the bolts 52. also adjustably mounted upon the transverse supporting member 58 by virtue of the bolts 56 positioned in the slots 58. The slots 58 permit lateral adjustment of the blocks 48. The bolts 56 permit rotary adjustment of the blocks 48. The pintles 46 are provided with endwise adjustments by virtue of the set screws Bil holding the pintles 46 in position. By this arrangement it may readily be seen that a universal adjustment of the idlers 44 in a horizontal plane has been provided, so as to properly position and properly form the belt 10 into a substantially V-shaped formation, as disclosed in Figure 3.

To the rear of the belt and directly between and below the idlers 44 is located a saddle or a support 60, that is substantially V-shaped or provided with an abrupt curvature in close proximity to the idlers 44. The sides of member 50 are gradually diverged so as to gradually change the curvature of member Gtl until it flattens out, so as to provide a substantially straight support at the lower end for the rear of the abrasive belt. This is clearly seen by referring to the progressive views shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5.

The upper end of the support 60 is adjustably The blocks 48 are mounted upon the transverse supporting member 50 by means of an adjusting screw 62, provided with suitable lock nut 64 and the securing portion 66. The structural details of the mounting of the upper end of the support 69 is immaterial providing proper adjustments are available, so as to properly position the upper end of the support 60 with respect to the contour of the belt supported thereby.

The lower end of the support 60 is adjustably mounted to a transverse supporting member 10 having the ends adjustably attached to the standards 22 by suitable bolts 14 seated in the slots 16. The lower end of the support 60 may be adjusted away from or towards the transverse supporting member 10 by an adjusting screw 16 held in position by lock nut 18. It can be readily seen from the foregoing that the upper end of the support may be moved outwardly or inwardly and the lower end of the support 60 may be moved outwardly or inwardly, to accommodate the adjustment of the idlers 44, the contour of the support 66, the thickness of the belt [0 and numerous other factors. By providing adjustments for the support 60 and properly adjusting the idlers 44, the belt may be caused to travel in close proximity to and be supported by the support or saddle 60. This saddle B6 underlies the operative range of the belt.

When polishing or abrading an article having an abrupt curvature, it is presented to the belt directly below the idler 44. If the curvature is substantially the same as that disclosed in Figure 4, the work is presented to the belt in the proximity of the section line 4-4. If the curvature is greater than that shown in Figure 4, but less than that shown in Figure 5, the work is presented to the belt somewhere between the section line 55 and 4% at a position where the transverse curvature of the belt corresponds to that of the work. If a substantially flat piece is to be polished, it is presented to the belt near the lowest portion of the support 60 where the belt is substantially flat. By this arrangement it can be readily seen that the flexible belt may be used in polishing articles having an abrupt curvature or any other curvature between an abrupt curvature and a fiat surface, without resetting the machine, without making any adjustments and without changing parts.

Abrasive belt, as used herein, is used to designate any type of a belt that may be used in abrading, in polishing, in finishing, in sharpening, in honing or otherwise treating an article with abrasive material or with a polishing compound, or with the belt itself without the use of abrasive or polishing compounds.

Although the preferred modification of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a polishing and abrading machine utilizing a continuous length abrasive belt passed over at least a pair of pulleys arranged in spaced relation from each other, the combination of a frame with a belt supporting member mounted to the rear of the belt, said belt supporting member having an abruptly curved surface adjacent one end thereof, said curved surface merging into a pair of parallel sides adapted to project into and snugly nestled in a foldof the belt, the sides of said support diverging so as to terminate in a substantially fiat surface engaging the back of the belt in unfolded relationship, and a pair of rollers one on each side of said parallel sides to hold the sides of the belt in contact with the parallel sides of the support.

2. In a polishing and abrading machine utilizing a continuous length abrasive belt passed over at least a pair of pulleys arranged in spaced relation from each other, the combination including a frame, a belt supporting member mounted to the rear of the belt with the longitudinal axis of the supporting member substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the portion of the belt in contact with the supporting member, said belt supportin member having an abruptly curved surface adjacent one end thereof, said curved surface merging into a pair of parallel sides adapted to project into and snugly nestled in a fold of the belt, the sides of said support diverging with the sides of the belt soas to terminate in a substantially fiat surface engaging the back of the belt in unfolded relationship, and a pair of idle rollers having their axes of rotation in a common plane substantially normal to the direction of travel of the portion of the belt in contact with the supporting member, said rollers folding the sides of the belt against the parallel sides of the support.

3. In a polishing and abrading machine utilizing a continuous length abrasive belt passed over at least a pair of pulleys arranged in spaced relation from each other, the combination including a frame, a belt supporting member mounted to the rear of the belt, said belt supporting member having an abruptly curved surface adjacent one end thereof, said curved surface merging into a pair of parallel sides adapted to project into and snugly nestled in a fold of the belt, the sides of said supporting member diverging with the sides of the belt so as to terminate in a substantially flat surface engaging the back of the belt in unfolded relationship, a pair of idle rollers having their axes of rotation in a common plane substantially normal to the direction of travel of the portion of the belt in contact with the supporting member, said rollers folding the sides of the belt against the parallel sides of the supporting member, and means for adjustably mounting the supporting member relative to the frame.

4. In an abrading device utilizing an abrasive belt including three pulleys, a frame for supporting the pulleys so that the pulleys form the apices of a triangle, said pulleys supporting the belt so as to cause the belt to travel in three straight paths located in three sides of a triangle, a support for the belt mounted between two of said pulleys, said support having a substantially abrupt U-shaped outside contour in one end thereof with the sides of the U-shaped outside contour substantially parallel and gradually widening to a substantially fiat surface in the opposite end thereof, and a pair of idlers for deflecting the edge of the belt into engagement with the support adjacent the U-shaped end thereof.

5. In an abrading device utilizing an abrasive belt including three pulleys, a frame for supporting the pulleys so that the pulleys form the apices of a triangle, said pulleys supporting the belt so as to cause the belt to travel in three straight paths located in three sides of a triangle, a curved belt support positioned intermediate two of said pulleys and to the rear of the belt in parallel relation thereto, said belt support having a diverging curved surface so as to have an abrupt curvature with the sides substantially parallel and gradually widening into a substantially flat surface, means for adjustably supporting said support relative to the belt, and a pair of adjustably mounted idlers one on either side of the belt for causing the belt to snugly overlie the curved surface of the support.

6. In an abrading device utilizing an abrasive belt including three pulleys, a frame for supporting the pulleys so that the pulleys form the apices of a triangle, said pulleys supporting the belt so as to cause the belt to travel in three straight paths located in three sides of a triangle, a curved belt support positioned intermediate two of said pulleys and to the rear of the belt in parallel relation thereto, said belt support having a diverging curved support so as to have an abrupt curvature gradually widening into a substantially flat surface, means for adjustably mounting one end of .the support so as to advance or retract this end towards and away from the belt, means for supporting the opposite end of the support, and a pair of idlers having their axes of rotation located in a common plane traversing the belt, said idlers engaging the abrasive face of the belt so as to cause it to follow and snugly overlie the curved surface of the support, said support underlying the operative range of the belt so as to present various degrees of curvature of the belt to the article to be finished.

7. In an abrading device utilizing an abrasive belt including three pulleys, a frame for supporting the pulleys so that the pulleys form the apices of a triangle, said pulleys supporting the belt so as to cause the belt to travel in three straight paths located in three sides of a triangle, a curved belt support positioned intermediate two of said pulleys and to the rear of the belt, said belt support having a diverging curved surface so as to have an abrupt curvature gradually widening into a substantially flat surface, means for adjustably supporting one end of the support so as to permit adjustment of the support towards and away from the belt, means for adjustably supporting the other end of the support so as to advance the other end towards and away from the belt, and a pair of adjustably mounted rollers having their axes of rotation located in a common plane intersecting the portion of the belt extending between the rollers, said rollers engaging the abrasive face of the belt for causing it to travel in close proximity to the curved surface of the support constituting the operative range of the belt.

ELVIN M. BRIGHT. 

